Louis rehdore



L. REHDORF. AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH. APPLICATION FILED APR. 4. uns.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

UNITEB STATES E%1TENT FF1E LOUIS REHDORF, OFD'E'IROI'I, MIGHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 JOSEPH N. SMITI-I & CO. OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF IVIIGI-IIGA'N.

AUTOMOBILE-130GB LATC1I.

App1ication filed April 4,

T0 all whom z't may conce1n B0 it known that I, LOUIS Rmnnonr, a citizen of the United States, residing ab Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have inventcd a certain new und uscful Inaprovement in Automobile-Dom Latches, anol declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of th o same, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had t0 the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to latches for auto- 1nobile doors, and the object of the invention is to provicle a latch carried by the door that is rotatable in character to cngage a stationary striker secured to the jamlo and releasing means therefor of the natura of a push button instead of the usual lever that releasesthe latch memlocr to rotation by a light pressure of the hand in grasping the door 130 open the same, and further one in which oho latch member engages abont the striker memloer on opposite sides thereof when the door is in closed position, locking the same. from movement automatically. These various novl features of the invention are hereinafter moro fully described and claimecl.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved door latch.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectionom line ax of Fig. 1 showing the latch in position relative to the striker.

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the latch in the position assumed relative to the striker upon the opening of the door.

Fig. 4: is a detail showing the mechanism for releasing the latch member.

As will loe readily understood from the drawings the latch mochanism is carried by a casing 1 that is mounted preforably 011 the inside of the door mernloer, the flange 2 thereof being on the face of thc door and the rotatable 1atch member 3 extcncling through an aperture provided in the face 1 to engage a striker 4 secured to a jamb 5 of the door frame. The latch me1nloer 3 is substantially circnlar in contour especially that portion Which projects through the flange 2 and is provicled with a notch 50 extendiltg therethrough pr0viding opposing portions engaging about the striker 2 when the door is closed. When in posi- Specification of Letters'la'tent.

]Patentcdl Sopt. 23, 1910..

1918. Serial 110.226,567.

tion shown in Fig. 2, the door is practlcall y hold from movemcnt as will l o roa(lily 1mclerstood. This latch mombor 3 is pivotally mounted at 6 in a holder 7 securcd to thc case 1 as Will be understoocl from Fig. 1 and this pivot pin 0 is provided Willi a spring 8 thcroabout as indicatc l in loilml lines in Fig. 2 so that, Whon frcc for actuati0n by the spring, the labch mcmhcr tak0s the.position showu in Figr. 3. Ono und of oho spring is secnred to thc pin an l thc othcr end securccl to oho latch mcmlm. The holder 7is U shapccl in form as shown, ancl the lower eclgcthcroof is provirlod wilh a lug 9 and' the latch 1ncmbor is provi lc l with a rearwarclly extonding part 10 a laplcd to engage the lug 9 whon turnc l b action of the spring as shown in Figr. 3. This positions the notch 50 in such manncr that the outer' point 11 engages tho strikor L on move-ment of the (l001' to closin;r position. Upon this point 11 cngaging thc stril(clf oho latch is turnocl on its pivot an l finally assumcs the position shown in Fig'. 2. Upon assuming this position tl1o spring presr od plunger 12, Which has an cnd passing into the holder? throngh an aperture thcrofor as Will loe undersroocl from Fig. 1, ongagos behind the extcn.sion 10 and holcls the laflch in a lockecl position. The plnngcr 12 npon being pressecl upwardly against thc tonsion of the spring 13 theroon rclcases the larcl1 3 for operation by t-he spring 8, thc plnnp;cr upon release thcreof thcn resting upon -thc upper face of the latch mombcr as will bo readily understood from Fig. 3. Thov uppcr cnd of the plunger 12 passe: througrh an aperture in the retainor 14 sccurecl to tho upper end of the supporting casing 1. This holder is U shaped in form as will be umlcr stood from Fig. 1, anal the' upper cnd of l16 rod 01 plunger 12 is proviclbd with a Wedge block 15, thc unclcr face of which is tapered as shown in Fig. 4:. Also carriccl in this holder 11 is a complcmental wedge block 16 engaging bencath the woclge block 15 of tho plnnger 12, and this block 16 io provided with a ston1 17 cxtencling through ehe case 1 to the inner face of oho (1001, and thc outcr end of {oho Stern is provided with a button 18. By 1)1;cssuro on thcrbnt ton 18, the block 16 18 forcc(l beneztch thc block 15 raising the plunger anal releasing 'the latch as heretofore stat-ed.

In operation, when tho door is closed the operator simply grasps the door with the hand on the button 18 und pressing thereon, which forces the wedge 16 beneath the wedge 15, and raising the plunger 12 and allowing the latch to rot2tte on its pivot as Will be understood fr0m Fig. 3. pon release of the button 18 the plunger then rests directly upon the upper face 0f thelatch 3. The block 16 is bifurcated, as indicated at 19 by d0tted lines in Fig. 1, to pass euch side of the stem 0r plunger 12. Upon c1osing the door the point 11 of the 1atch engages the striker, as before stated, again turning the latch rnember about the striker as shown in Fig. 2 and upon assuming the said position the plunger is projected by the spring 13 downward into the holder 7 behind the end 10 0f the latch securing the ]atch in closed position and preventing aceidei1tal opening of the door.

Having thus briefly described my invention, What I c1ai1n and d'esi1e to secure by Letters Patent of the United Staates is* 1. In a d00r latch, in combination with a movable door member und a stationary jamb member, a latch pivotally supported in the door, a striker secured to the jarnb, the latch being notched t0 engage opposite sides of the striker, a vertically reciprocable spring-pressed plunger, the latch member having a portion behind which the plunger nmy engage by action of its spring to premnt rotation of the 1atch when in engagement with the striker, und a second plunger extending through the inner face of the door by means of which the first named plunger may be raised to permit rotation of the latch.

2. In a door 1atch, in combination With a movable door Inember and a stationary jamb member, a latch member pivotally -supported in the door to swing on a vertical axis a striker secured to the jamb, the latch being notched to engage opposite sides of the striker, a vertically reeiprocable springpressed plunger supported within the door,

the latch being provided With a part behind which the said -plunger may be projcted by its spring 130 prevent rotation of the 1atch me1nber to release f10n1 the striker, a. spring tending t0 rotate the latch in a direction to release from the striker, and means exposed on the interior 0f the door for raising the plunger against the tension of its spring t0 release the latch t0 movement by its spring.

3. In a door latch, a movable door member und a stationary jamb member, a latch case .secured to the door meinber, a latch pivotally supported in the case to swing 0n a vertica1 axis, a striker secured to the door jznnb, the latch member being notched to engage opposite sides 0f the striker, a spring tending to turn the latch 011 its pivot, an apertured member supporting the latch, a vertical spring-pressed p1unger engaging in said aperture, the latch being provided With an extension behind Which the plunger may engage to hold the latch inengagement With. the striker, the upper end of the plunger being provided with a wedge member, a support for said Wenige mernber, a complemental wedge member having a stem projecting through the door und 1atch case adapted upon pressure being exerted on the stem to engage the wedge of the plunger to rai'se the same against the tension 0f the spring frorn em-gagement behind the extension 0f the 1atch and release the 12ytch to operation by its spring, a stop limiting the extent of movement of the latch 'by the spring whereby one point of the latch is 1etained in position to engage the striker on closing movement of the door, said movement rotating the 1atch 011 its pivot whereby the striker is engaged by the 1atch and the plunger released to action by its spring to LOUIS REHDORF. 

